US President Donald Trump on Wednesday presented a new figure regarding fighter planes allegedly shot down during hostilities between India and Pakistan. Trump, who had previously maintained that seven jets were destroyed, has not claimed that the number of planes damaged was eight.
However, as in earlier times, he has not specified the country to which the planes belonged.
The US President made this statement while addressing the America Business Forum in Miami, Florida.
“Pakistan and India...I was in the midst of a trade deal with both of them, and then... I heard they were going to war. Seven planes were shot down, and the eighth was really badly wounded... Eight planes were shot down essentially,” he said.
Trump reiterates role in Indo-Pak peace
Trump also reiterated his claim that he brokered a truce between India and Pakistan by threatening to snap trade deals with them.
“I said, this is war. I am not going to make any trade deals with you guys unless you agree to peace. The two nations said, 'No way. This has nothing to do. I said, ‘It has everything to do. You are nuclear powers. I'm not trading with you. We're not making any deals with you if you're at war with each other'," Trump said.
“A day later, I got a call saying, 'We made peace'. They stopped. I said, 'Thank you. Let's do trade'. Isn't that great? Tariffs did that. Without tariffs, that would have never happened," he added.
He also said that his intervention stopped eight wars in eight months of his tenure.
“All of them were in war… Some of the wars were 32 years old. One was 38 years old. I got some of these settled in an hour. No help from the United Nations at all," he added.
India attributes ceasefire to bilateral talks
India, however, has maintained that a ceasefire was reached on Pakistan’s request and no third party was involved in the process. The MEA categorically said the DGMOs of both sides held comprehensive discussions on Islamabad’s request, which led to cessation of hostilities.
